Can track



Oct. 1, 1963 R. E. HURTIG 3,

CAN TRACK Filed Jan. 13, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ROY E. HURTIG BYhQ T/W ATTORNEY E. HURTIG Oct. 1, 1963 CAN TRACK 3 Sheets-She 2 l s, I

Filed Jan. 13. 1961 INVENTOR nov E. aun'ns I .BY M

ATTORNEY.

Oct. 1, 1963 R. E. HURTIG 3,105,526

- CAN TRACK Filed Jan. 13. 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 TIE I INVENTOR ROY E. HURTIG ATTORNEY United States Patent 01 hoe iiiiiizfi Patented Get. 1, 1963 3,105,526 CAN TRACK Roy E. Hurtig, Monte Serene, Calif, assignor to FMC Corperation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 82,624 13 Claims. ((Zl. 141171) The present invention appertains to container filling machines, and more particularly relates to a container supporting track for guiding rapidly moving containers along a circular path and for tilting the containers to counteract the tendency of liquid in the container to spill from the containers due to the effect of centrifugal force acting on the liquid.

As the demand for higher filling speeds and higher container handling rates for rotary filling machines increase, the effect of centrifugal force acting on liquids being filled into containers, hereinafter referred to as cans, become more critical and in many cases becomes the speed limiting factor. Well known can tracks have been designed to counteract the effect of centrifugal force and have operated successfully within the speed range for which they have been designed. Such a can track has been disclosed in the United States Letters Patent No. 2,794,533 to R. K. Galloway. The can track disclosed in the Galloway patent is effective to guide the cans along a circular path which is concentric with the axis of rotation of a turret of the filling machine and which is concentric with a circular array of spaced, filling nozzles carried by the turret. This track is formed so as to maintain the vertical axis of a filling valve and that of an open-topped can positioned therebelow in alignment when the can is vertical. This patented structure tilts or banks the can to compensate for centrifugal force by providing can tracks which lower the inner edge of the bottom of cans, while maintaining the outer-edge of the bottoms of the cans at a constant level.

When faster speeds are used, this structure becomes ineifective to prevent spilling of liquid being filled into the cans for several reasons. Because of the faster speeds, the cans must be tilted or banked a greater amount and this tiltnig is efiective to move the upper end of the can inward and out of alignment with the axis of the associated filling nozzle. Since the liquid being discharged from the nozzle is curved outwardly by centrifugal force, and since the upper end of the can is moved out of alignment inwardly of the nozzle, some of the liquid never enters the can but is discharged over the outer edge thereof. It has also been discovered that upon completion of the can filling operation that the return of the cans to a vertical position by moving the bottom of the cans inwardly causes a wave of liquid in the can which results in spilling of the liquid.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide an improved can track for a high speed rotary filling machine.

Another object is to provide a can track for a rotary filling machine which is arranged to bank a can to compensate for centrifugal force acting on the can and on liquid being filled into the can while maintaining the open top of the can substantially in alignment with the point of discharge of the liquid.

Another object is to provide a can track arranged to return to an upright position a rapidly moving liquid-filled, tilted can without causing a liquid swell or surge in the can.

Another object is to return a can after termination of movement in a generally circular path from a banked position to .a vertical upright position by moving the top of the can outwardly into alignment with the bottom of the can which is moved tangentially away from its generally circular path of movement.

Another object is to provide a can track arranged to bank a can being moved in a generally circular path and arranged to maintain the opening in the can in alignment with a nozzle for filling the same with liquid.

Another object is to provide a can track which is vertically adjustable.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

1G. 1 is a plan, partially broken away, of a filling machine on which is mounted the conveyor track of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1, certain parts being broken away.

FIG. 3 is a plan of the fourth quadrant and the discharge end of the can track of the present invention, certain parts of the filling machine being shown in phantom.

FIGS. 4 to 10 are vertical sections of the can track taken along lines 44, 55, 66, 77, 8'3, 9-9, and 1010, respectively, of FIG. 3 showing banked positions of the cans at different stations of the machine.

The improved can track 29 (FIG. 1) of the present invention makes it possible for the rotary filling machine 21 to operate at higher rates of speed than have heretofore been obtainable. The rotary filling machine 21 comprises a supply reservoir 22 communicating with a plurality of individual discharge nozzles or valves 23 each of which is adapted to measure a predetermined amount of liquid and discharge it into a can therebelow. Fl he valves are arranged in an evenly spaced circular pattern and are carried by a continuously driven turret 24 which rotates about a vertical axis T (FIGS. 1 and 3). The turret 24 also carries an annulus 26 having a plurality of can receiving pockets 27 therein which are equally spaced and are arranged to move cans in a generally circular path around the periphery of the turret. One pocket 27 is provided for each valve 23 and the arrangement is such that the vertical axis V ('FIGS. 3-l0) of each valve 23 is coincident with the axis G of the can positioned therebelow when the can is in a vertical position. The cans are individually fed into the pockets 2''] and onto the track '22? from a feed table 28 (FIG. 1) by a star wheel 29 which is continuously driven in timed relation with the turret 24.

As the cans are moved by the turret '24 along the can track 2%, they pass into the filling zone which begins at line A-A (FIG. 1), at which time the valves 23 are opened and the measured contents therein is directed into the cans therebelow before the valves and cans reach the end of the filling zone indicated by line BB. The filled cans are then discharged from the turret 24 and from the can track 21) onto a discharge table 31.

The details of rotary filling machine 21 constitutes no part of the present invention, however, if further information covering the details of such a machine should be desired, reference may be made to the United States Letters Patent to R. K. Galloway, No. 2,770,404, which discloses such -a filling machine.

The can track 2% (FIG. 2) is mounted on a fixed frame member 32 of the filling machine by means of three vertically adjustable brackets 33 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Each bracket is connected to the frame member 32 (FIG. 2) by cap screws 34 which extends through a vertically elongated slot 36 in a mounting flange 37 of the bracket 33. Each bracket 33 carries a T-shaped inner track support 38 which is connected for vertical adjustment relative to the bracket 33 by cap screws 39 which extend through a vertically elongated slot 41 in the support 38 and are screwed into the bracket 33. Each bracket 33 has an outer track support 42 that is mounted for radial movement relative to the turret 24 and relative to the bracket 33 by a cap screw 43 which is screwed into the bracket 33 and extends through a radial slot 44 in the outer support 42. The

three brackets 33 also cooperate to support a generally circular ring segment 46. A curved side guide rail 47, which may be made in generally circular segments, is connected at spaced intervals to the segment 46 by cap screws 43, which are screwed into the segment 46 and extend through radially extending slots 49 in spaced feet 51 formed integrally with the side guide rail 47.

An inner can supporting rail 61, having a can banking cam 62 connected thereto as by Welding, is connected to the inner T-shaped track supports 38 by cap screws 63 which .are screwed into the rail 61 and extend through a radially extending slot 64 in each inner support 38. An outer can supporting rail 66 of circular cross-section is secured as by welding to the outer supports 42.

It will be understood that the inlet ends of the rails 47, 61 and 66 (FIG. 1) are secured to the feed table 23 while the outlet ends of these rails are secured to the discharge tab-le 31. It will also be understood that the inlet ends of the upper surfaces of the rails 61 and 65 are in coplanar alignment with the upper surface of the feed table 28, and that the upper surfaces of the discharge ends of these rails are in coplanar alignment with the upper surface of the discharge table 31. The feed table 23 and discharge table 31 need not be at the same elevation since the vertical slots 36 in the brackets 33 permit vertical adjustment of the brackets 33 to compensate for such misalignment. It is preferable that such adjustments be made prior to reaching the fourth quadrant or last 90 of travel of the cans in their generally circular path about the turret 24. This fourth quadrant extends between the lines C-C and 99 (FIG. 3). The banking of the cans begins at line C-C where the cans are approximately half filled with liquid and reaches a maximum at line 9-9 where the cans are completely filled.

The improved can track 2t) is arranged to gradually bank the cans to keep the outermost edge U of the upper end of the can at an elevation above the highest point of the surface of the liquid which tends to be moved to an inclined position and spill over the rim of the can. This banking of the can is accomplished by gradually moving the bottom of the can outwardly relative to the top of the can, as seen in FIGS. 47, by means of the can banking cam 62 while maintaining the outer rail 66 level with the discharge table 31. At the same time, the can moves along a downwardly inclined portion of the inside rail 61, causing the can to be gradually tilted.

From position 77 of FIG. 3 to position 99, the angle of tilt of the can is maintained substantially constant. However, the entire can is gradually moved bodily outwardly by the cam 62 and the side guide rail 47. To control the curved path of the bottom of the can, the portion of the can banking cam 62 in the fourth quadrant is formed on arcs X and Y which are curved about axes E and F, respectively, the arc X being swung on a radius R and the arc Y being swung on a radius R. The axes E and F are spaced from the turret axis T as indicated in FIG. 3.

In accordance with the present invention, the return of the can to an upright position is accomplished Without causing a Wave to occur in the liquid in the can. After the can has been filled and has moved past the line 99, the bottom of the can is guided by the banking cam 62 in a straight line tangent to the arc Y. Therefore, as the can passes the line 9-9 and is no longer moving in a curved path, centrifugal force no longer acts on the liquid in the cans and the surface of the liquid begins to return to a horizontal position. At the same time, the bottom inner edge Z of the can moves along an upwardly inclined portion of the inside rail causing the upper outer edge U of the can to swing outwardly and the can to return to an upright position. It is to be noted that, during the outward movement of the top of the can, the bottom of the can does not move outwardly or inwardly. The entire can then moves in a linear path onto the discharge table 31 and is discharged from the machine.

It has been discovered that movement of the upper end of the can outwardly as above described when returning the cans to a vertical position, rather than moving the bottom of the can inwardly, prevents waves from being formed in the liquid in the can and thus permits faster speeds of the rotary filling machine than has heretofore been possible.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the improved can track of the present invention is arranged to tilt a can to counteract centrifugal force acting on liquid in the can by positively engaging and moving the bottom of the can a greater distance outwardly than the top of the can while lowering the inner rail, thereby maintaining the filling valve in alignment with the open upper end of the can during high speed filling operations. The can track is also arranged to prevent waves, and hence spilling of the liquid from the can, when the can is being returned to a vertical position, by moving the bottom of the can in a straight line path tangent to the last circular arc of the can banking cam while gradually raising the inner edge of the top of the can to the level of the outer edge of the top of the can. The inner rail and outer rail of the can track are also vertically adjustable permitting a change in elevation of the cans as they are filled by the rotary filling machine.

In the following claims the phrase generally circular will be used to describe the track members 66 and 61 which are not completely circular in configuration but are partially circular to provide support for the cans as they move along the fragmentary circular path dictated by the turret pusher wheel 26.

While one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the present invention and the manner in which the same is to be used, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. A can track for a rotary can filling machine having a plurality of filling units movable therewith and disposed in a circular path about the axis of rotation of the machine, each filling unit having a valve therein arranged to be opened at a first station to discharge produce therefrom and to be closed at a subsequent station as the units are moved in a circular path, said track comprising support means, an inner track member carried by said support means and having a portion with a generally circular can-support surface, cam means carried by said inner track member and having a camming surface adapted to engage the lower inner edge of the can, an outer track member, and means for moving a can supported on said track members below one of said filling units through a path of predetermined arcuate extent beginning adjacent the valve opening station of the machine, the can-support surfaces of the inner and outer tracks being substantially coplanar at the beginning of said path, and the surface of the inner track being inclined downwardly away from the plane of the surface of said outer track from the beginning to the end of said path whereby the lower inner end of the can is lowered as the can moved along said path, the camming surface of said cam being arranged to progressively recede from the center of rotation'of the machine from the beginning to the end of said path, whereby the lower inner end of the can is lowered due to the inclination of said inner track and the lower portion of the can is moved away from the axis of rotation of the machine as the can is moved along said path.

2. A can track for guiding cans to be filled along a generally circular path, said track comprising a support structure, means defining a conveying surface on said structure, a rail on said structure disposed in a generally circular pattern above and radially outwardly of said conveying surface and adapted to resist movement of each can on said surface in a direction radially away from the center of said path, cam means on said support structure disposed adjacent said rail and having a camming surface that progressively approaches said rail and is adapted to engage the lower end of a can on said conveying surface, and means for moving a can along said conveying surface with an outer upper portion of the can in contact with said rail and an inner lower portion of the can in contact with said camming surface, said surface being arranged to move the lower end of the can radially outwardly from the center of said path while said rail prevents radially outward movement of the upper portion of the can.

3. A can track for guiding cans to be filled along a curved path, said track comprising a support structure, means defining a conveying surface on said structure, and can control means carried by said support structure, said can control means including a lower can contacting guide member disposed on the inner side of the curved path and an upper guide member on the outer side of the curved path, said guide members having converging surfaces at a first portion of said curved path for guiding each can as it moves along said curved path to a tilted position wherein the upper portion of said cans are inclined inwardly toward the center of curvature of said path so as to compensate for centrifugal force acting upon liquid within said cans, and said guide members having diverging surfaces at a subsequent portion of said curved path whereby the cans are returned to an upright position.

4. A can track for guiding cans to be filled along a fixed curved path comprising a support structure, means defining a conveying surface on said structure, can control means for controlling the angle of tilt of each can as it is advanced on said conveying surface, said control means including a lower can contacting guide surface disposed on the inner side of the curved path and an upper guide surface on the outer side of the curved path, means disposed adjacent an initial portion of the path of can movement for holding said guide surfaces in a position with a predetermined spacing between said surfaces measured in a horizontal direction whereby a can being advanced on said conveying surface and disposed in engagement with said opposed guide surfaces will be held in upright position, means at a subsequent portion of said path of can movement for holding said guide surfaces in a position wherein the adjusted horizontal distance between said guide surfaces is less than said predetermined horizontal distance whereby a can being advanced on said conveying surface will be inclined inwardly of the curved path, and means at a third portion of said path for holding said guide surfaces in a position wherein the horizontal distance between said guide surfaces is greater than said adjusted horizontal distance so that the can will be tilted back toward an upright position when passing along the third portion of said path.

5. A can track for rotary can filling machines having means for moving cans along a generally circular path comprising support means, can controlling means carried by said support means for controlling the attitude of the can while the can is moving in the generally circular path, said controlling means including a generally circular inner track member having a raised camming surface thereon, said inner track member being arranged to tilt the can by engaging and moving the bottom inner edge of the can downwardly and outwardly and the upper inner edge downwardly and inwardly, said inner track member having an extension directed substantially tangentially of said path and arranged to raise the bottom inner edge of the can upwardly and guide said edge along a path tangent to said generally circular path while moving the upper end of the can outwardly toward a vertical position in said tangent path.

6. A can track for rotary can filling machines adapted to advance cans along a substantially circular path comprising an inner generally circular can supporting track member, an outer generally circular can supporting track member spaced radially outward from said inner track member, means for adjustably supporting said inner track member and for changing the elevation of the upper surface of said inner track member to bank the cans, and means secured to said inner track member for positively en aging and camming the lower surface of the cans outwardly to aid in banking the cans.

7. A can track for rotary can filling machines having a plurality of filling nozzles arranged in a circular pattern and having means for maintaining cans'in alignment with said nozzles and for moving said cans in a generally circular path, said track comprising an inner generally circular can supporting track member, an outer generally circular can supporting track member spaced radially outward from said inner track member, means for adjustably supporting said inner track member and for changing the elevation of the upper surface of said inner member, and means secured to said inner track member for camming the lower surfaces of the cans outwardly to cooperate with said inner and outer track members to bank the cans while maintaining the upper ends of said cans in alignment with said nozzles.

8. A can track for rotary can filling machines having a plurality of filling nozzles arranged in a circular pattern and having means for maintaining cans in alignment with said nozzles and for moving said cans in a generally circular path comprising an inner generally circular can supporting track member, an outer generally circular can supporting track member spaced radially outward from said inner member, means for adjustably supporting said track members and for lowering the inner member re1ative to said outer track member, and means secured to said inner track member for engaging and camming the lower surfaces of the cans outwardly to cooperate with said inner and outer track members to bank the cans while maintaining the upper ends of said cans in alignment with said nozzles.

9. A can track for rotary can filling machines having a plurality of filled nozzles arranged in a circular pattern and having means for maintaining cans in alignment with said nozzles and for moving said cans in a generally circular path comprising track supporting means, an inner generally circular can supporting track member adjustably by said supporting means, a discharge table connected to one end of said inner track member and being at the same elevation as said one end of said inner track member, an outer generally circular can supporting track member spaced radially outward from said inner track member and having an end connected to said discharge table, said discharge table and said one end of said outer track memher being at a common elevation, means for lowering the inner track member relative to said outer track member, and means secured to said inner track member for positively engaging and camming the lower surfaces of the cans outwardly to cooperate with said inner and outer track members to bank the cans while maintaining the upper ends of said cans in alignment with said nozzles.

10. A can track for rotary can filling machines having a plurality of filling nozzles arranged in a circular pattern about an axis and having means for maintaining cans in alignment with said nozzles and for moving said cans in a generally circular path comprising track supporting means, an inner generally circular can supporting track member adjustably supported by said supporting means, a discharge table connected to one end of said inner track member and being at the same elevation as said one end of said inner track member, an outer generally circular can supporting track member spaced radially outward from said inner track member and having an end connected to said discharge table, said discharge table and said one end of said outer track member being at a common elevation, means for lowering the inner member relative to said outer member, and a can banking cam secured to said inner member, said cam having an arcuate camming surface adjacent said discharge table which is a formed about an axis disposed from the axis of said circular pattern and cooperates with said inner and outer track members to bank the cans While maintaining the upper ends of the cans in alignment with said nozzles. 11. A can track for rotary can filling machines having a plurality of filling nozzles arranged in a circular pattern about an axis and having means for maintaining cans in alignment with said nozzles and for moving said cans in a generally circular path comprising track supporting means, an inner generally circular can supporting track member adjustably supported by said supporting means, a discharge table connected to one end of said inner tract member and being at the same elevation as said one end of said inner track member, an outer generally circular can supporting track member spaced radially outward from said inner track member and having an end con-- nected to said discharge table, said discharge table and said one end of said outer track member being at a common elevation, means for lowering the inner member relative to said outer member, and a can banking cam secured to said inner member, said cam having an arcuate camming surface adjacent said discharge table which surface is formed about an axis disposed from the axis of said circular pattern and cooperates with said inner and outer track members to bank the cans While maintaining the upper ends of the cans in alignment with said nozzles, said cam including a righting surface extending tangentially of said arcuate camming surface and cooperating with an upwardly sloping portion of said inner track member to return the cans to an upright position by maintaining the movements of the bottom of the cans in a linear path while allowing the upper end of said cans to move outwardly.

12. A can track for rotary can filling machines having a plurality of filling nozzles arranged in a circular patradially outward from said inner track member and having an end connected to said discharge table, said discharge table and said one end of said outer track member being at a common elevation, means for lowering the inner track member relative to said outer track member, and a can banking cam secured to said inner track member, said cam having an arcuate camming surface adjacent said discharge table which surface is formed about an axis disposed from the axis of said circular pattern and cooperates with said inner and outer track members to bank the cans While maintaining the upper ends of the cans in alignment with said nozzles.

13. A can track for rotary can filling machines having a plurality of filling nozzles arranged in a circular pattern about an axis and having means for maintaining cans in alignment with said nozzles and for moving said cans in a generally circular path comprising track supporting means, an inner generally circular can supporting track member carried by said supporting means, a discharge table connected to one end of said inner track member and being at the same elevation as said one end of said inner track member, a feed table connected to the other end of said inner track member and being at a different cured to said supporting means, said cam havin at least one arcuate camming surface formed about an axis spaced from the axis of said circular pattern of nozzles which arcuate surface cooperates with said inner and outer track members to bank the cans while maintaining the upper ends of the cans in alignment with said nozzles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS 2,794,533 Galloway June 4, 1957 

1. A CAN TRACK FOR A ROTARY CAN FILLING MACHINE HAVING A PLURALITY OF FILLING UNITS MOVABLE THEREWITH AND DISPOSED IN A CIRCULAR PATH ABOUT THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE MACHINE, EACH FILLING UNIT HAVING A VALVE THEREIN ARRANGED TO BE OPENED AT A FIRST STATION TO DISCHARGE PRODUCE THEREFROM AND TO BE CLOSED AT A SUBSEQUENT STATION AS THE UNITS ARE MOVED IN A CIRCULAR PATH, SAID TRACK COMPRISING SUPPORT MEANS, AN INNER TRACK MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORT MEANS AND HAVING A PORTION WITH A GENERALLY CIRCULAR CAN-SUPPORT SURFACE, CAM MEANS CARRIED BY SAID INNER TRACK MEMBER AND HAVING A CAMMING SURFACE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE LOWER INNER EDGE OF THE CAN, AN OUTER TRACK MEMBER, AND MEANS FOR MOVING A CAN SUPPORTED ON SAID TRACK MEMBERS BELOW ONE OF SAID FILLING UNITS THROUGH A PATH OF PREDETERMINED ARCUATE EXTENT BEGINNING ADJACENT THE VALVE OPENING STATION OF THE MACHINE, THE CAN-SUPPORT 